REL 1000 Chapter : Religions Of The World 1
What is Religion? 8/27/2014 10:23:00 PM
Native category : members of a community of culture agree they know what
it means, but cannot define it
• Religion is a native category
Edward Burnett Tylor
• Animistic Theory
o The belief that natural objects, other than humans, have
souls
o Polytheistic and monotheistic traditions come from animistic
theory
o All religion originated here
o Belief about the dead -> “a belief in the real pressure of a
spiritual being in a material object.” Primitve Culture
o Not understand religion, but science
▪ Difference between dead and living is biology
Max Muller
• Religion is an intellectual process that studies the works of nature
• Based on study of Hinduism
• Nature worship – personalization of natural forces
o Religion originated when people saw forces in natural world
that could not be controlled by humans
Sigmund Freud
• Psychologist
o Psychoanalysis; unconscious mind
• Oedipal origins
o Men make a god the “father”
▪ First tribal communities would have killed and
cannibalized their father, then marry mothers
▪ Feel guilt and fear of their sons -> make father a god
(respect)
▪ 2 universal taboo’s – incest and murder
protection from son’s
• Mass delusion/paranoid wish fulfillment
o Human beings know we will die, but don’t know how or when
▪ Create a being to protect us (god/afterlife)
Carl Jung
• Psychologist
o “collective unconscious”
• inherently “know” – hard-wired for religion
o something predisposes us to be religious
• Freud and Jung’s theories are universal, but individualistic
o Not a social construct, exists in the individual psyche
Karl Marx
• “It (religion) is the opium of the people”
o Religion does not fix anything, like a painkiller
• Elite control the masses
• Human creation meant to alleviate feelings of alienation
Emile Durkheim
• Social cohesion
• Sacred objects and practices distinguish one group from another
• Marx and Durkheim’s theories are universal & social
o Not individual, constructed by community
Perspective 8/27/2014 10:23:00 PM
Pathetic Fallacy
• Giving human characteristics to objects, feelings, or ideas
• Examples
o People calling their car “my baby”
• Religions are incapable of “teaching”
• How does this influence our perspective?
o Leads to:
▪ Generalizations
Stereotype religious people (“Christians teach
peace”)
▪ Theological conclusions
The World As We Know It
• The Religions of the World
o Established order
▪ National boundaries
▪ Predetermined list of “major” religions
▪ “majority” tradition in each nation
o Arbitrariness
▪ How was this list determined?
▪ Is “majority” the most accurate representation of
adherents?
Who is included/excluded? (Sikhs)
▪ “Majority” of what?
All people who identify as “religious” or all people?
The Academic Study of Religions
• Insider v. Outsider Debate
o Long standing debate
▪ Inside: members of religions should study the religions
▪ Outside: members of religions should not be studying
the religions
o Are people from outside more objective? Are they too critical?
o Can anyone be “objective”?
• Features of “basic” religions
o Divination
▪ Rituals used to predict the future; interpretations of
events
Document Summary
Native category : members of a community of culture agree they know what it means, but cannot define it: religion is a native category. Protection from son"s: mass delusion/paranoid wish fulfillment, human beings know we will die, but don"t know how or when, create a being to protect us (god/afterlife) Carl jung: psychologist, collective unconscious inherently know hard-wired for religion, something predisposes us to be religious, freud and jung"s theories are universal, but individualistic, not a social construct, exists in the individual psyche. Karl marx: it (religion) is the opium of the people , religion does not fix anything, like a painkiller, elite control the masses, human creation meant to alleviate feelings of alienation. Emile durkheim: social cohesion, sacred objects and practices distinguish one group from another, marx and durkheim"s theories are universal & social, not individual, constructed by community.
